The Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, has opened a Horizon Europe Grant Office at Gori State Teaching University, which will facilitate the successful participation of Georgian scientists in EU grant competitions and serve the needs of the region. Mikheil Chkhenkeli addressed the public and informed about the steps taken by the Ministry to support science.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli: “Today we gathered at Gori State Teaching University for several important reasons - we opened the Horizon Europe Grant Office.

As you know, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia is actively working to improve the success rate of Georgian universities and research institutes in the new EU framework program Horizon Europe grant competitions. Numerous steps have already been taken in this direction - Horizon Europe's network of local contact persons has been updated and strengthened according to directions, and most importantly, a network of university scientific grant offices has been set up, which will gradually cover all universities.

I would also like to inform you that the negotiations between the European Commission and the Government of Georgia on the new EU Association Agreement on Horizon Europe's research and innovation program, which will be signed in the near future, have been successfully concluded.

It has been agreed that the representatives of Georgia in the competitions of the Horizon Europe program will enjoy exactly the same conditions and rights as the representatives of the field of science and innovation of the EU countries.

In his speech, Mikheil Chkhenkeli also said that Gori University will soon have a new library building that will meet modern standards and create comfortable conditions for students to study. The new building will house a youth centre, where various educational events with the participation of students will be held and will diversify student life.

Within the framework of the event, the presentation of Gori University Rector Giorgi Sosiashvili's book "History of Samachablo Historical Representation of the Occupied Territory of Shida Kartli" (Didi Liakhvi Gorge) was held within the framework of a project funded by the Rustaveli Foundation.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli congratulated the Rector of Gori University on the creation of a new book, wished him fruitful scientific work and noted that supporting scientific projects aimed at ongoing processes and solving existing problems in the occupied territories and border regions of Georgia is a priority of the Ministry. The Rustaveli Foundation conducts a number of grant competitions in this direction.